‘Fever Dream’ Offers A Disorienting & Muddled Dissection Of Parental Anxiety [San Sebastian Review]

There is no shortage of fiery ambition in Claudia Llosa’s “Fever Dream.” Split between a dreamlike portrait of motherhood’s challenges and an allegorical thriller, the filmmaker’s psychological drama manifests its ideas with a woozy candor, a demeanor that demands its audience’s attention. It’s a disposition that warrants appreciation but does not succeed overall and, regrettably, equates to a wasted opportunity.

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Chronicling the summer vacation of a mother (Amanda, played by María Valverde) and her adolescent daughter, “Fever Dream” weaves the threads of its plot in a woozy, non-linear fashion. Extensive voiceover and perspective-hopping dominate most of the film’s runtime, as the audience follows Amanda’s blooming friendship with her neighbor Carola (Dolores Fonzi. This relationship is soon followed by a subsequent lapse into confusion and distrust upon meeting David (Emilio Vodanovich), Carola’s troubled son, who might pose a threat to Amanda and her daughter.

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Crafting a plot-driven narrative is not at the forefront of Llosa’s concerns, considering the director devotes most of her time to sculpting a subjective character study—a restrained, observational piece that is equally intimate as it is occasionally unnerving. The horror on display is refreshingly subtle—for better and worse—and manifests itself gradually. “Fever Dream” is never overtly frightening but successfully captures an aura of hazy unpredictability. Visually, the frequent use of extreme close-ups and handheld camerawork lends itself to an atmosphere rooted in both affection and claustrophobia, enhancing the tactility of stifling, humid environments and sultry, albeit tasteful eroticism.

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Coincidingly, the abundant themes that “Fever Dream” encompasses serve as both a benefit and detriment to the film. Parental fears—personified herein as guilt and lack of control—lend themselves to effectively enhancing the grounded yet slightly supernatural elements. Yet, the remainder of the film’s topical material—which seemingly includes sexual identity, the absence of father figures, and proposed flaws with traditional monogamy between men and women—endures largely unexplored. Furthermore, the environmental commentary, a component upon which “Fever Dream” hinges a sizable percentage of its emotional and narrative weight, falls utterly flat.

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Much like the mental state of its lead characters—who fail to develop beyond undeveloped archetypes—“Fever Dream” loses focus too quickly, resulting in a sincere yet scatterbrained meditation on the inevitable disconnect between mother and child as well as the ever-increasing divide between Earth and its inhabitants. Llosa’s intentions are honorable, and in comparison to her contemporaries who have attempted to confront climate-change-adjacent topics through cinema, the filmmaker stands apart from her peers.

Nonetheless, “Fever Dream” never delivers on its promises and eventually collapses due to its cluttered narrative organization, unintentionally sluggish pacing, and an unbridled assortment of themes. In all fairness, Llosa’s psychodrama has much to say, but in accordance with its lack of impact and substantive diction, the words fall flat and might leave you questioning whether you heard anything at all. [C+]